Yemen claims 950 Houthi fighters killed in nearly 1,900 strikes

Yemen’s internationally recognised government has claimed that 950 Houthi fighters have been killed and 380 military vehicles destroyed during its ongoing military campaign, dubbed “Dawn of Yemen”, against the Iran-backed rebels.

The figures were reported by Gulf News on Tuesday, October 13, citing military spokesman Colonel Majid Al-Nuzaili.

Al-Nuzaili said government forces had carried out 1,879 operations across several military fronts. The campaign involved fighter jets, drones, artillery, rocket launchers and sniper units, targeting Houthi defensive positions, command centres, weapons depots and supply networks.

The Houthis have not publicly commented on the reported figures, which could not be independently verified.

Rashad Al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, launched the “Dawn of Yemen” operation on October 5. Its stated objectives are to recapture territories held by the Houthis, including the capital, Sanaa, restore state institutions and end the Houthi insurgency.

Fighting has intensified along Yemen’s western coast and around strategic maritime routes in the Red Sea, particularly the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Government forces have claimed advances in the Bab el-Mandeb, Dhubab and Mokha areas, but the Houthis have denied those claims.

The conflict began in 2014 when Houthi rebels, also known as Ansar Allah, seized Sanaa. The war has since developed into a protracted crisis that has devastated the country and triggered one of the world’s most severe humanitarian emergencies.

Yemen’s armed forces have previously reported killing Houthi fighters and destroying more than 180 military vehicles during earlier operations.